Fortnite patch notes today (Aug. 20) – War Machine’s Arsenal and Captain America’s Shield nerfs

Some nerfs and buffs.

Emma Frost flying and firing War Machine's Arsenal in Fortnite.
Screenshot by Dot Esports

Fortnite Chapter Five, season four and another Marvel collaboration are in full swing, but the work is not over. Amid the updates that are planned, Epic Games has released a new patch today.

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Future updates to the current Fortnite season are expected to bring more Marvel characters and Mythic weapons to the game. But today, Aug. 20, a patch was deployed that focused on reducing the overpowered nature of two weapons in the game.

It’s not all doom and gloom, however, as another weapon has received a buff and there have also been changes to the competitive scene. We’ve highlighted all the big changes in today’s Fortnite patch here.

Fortnite Aug. 20 patch notes

Gwenpool kneeling in front of an Avenger's Chest in Fortnite.
Less powerful. Screenshot by Dot Esports

War Machine’s Arsenal has received the biggest nerf in the Aug. 20 patch, with the official wording from Epic saying the rockets do “slightly less damage to structures and take longer to reload.” The biggest change in that regard, however, is a lower chance of finding the item.

Leakers like HypeX revealed the full details behind the nerf, which has cut the spawn chance of War Machine’s Arsenal by half. Reload times for the rockets have been doubled, while the damage to builds has been reduced from 100 to 80.

Captain America’s Shield has received similar nerfs, which Epic says result in “slightly less damage” and require “more accuracy” to hone in on an enemy, with Staggers occurring quicker when blocking damage.

Again, leakers have highlighted a full breakdown of these changes, with the spawn rate of Captain America’s Shield reduced by 20 percent and damage dropping from 60 to 50.

In terms of buffs, the Sovereign Shotgun now aims down sights quicker and fires faster when doing so.

For the competitive scene, War Machine’s Arsenal has been Vaulted, with Shockwave Grenades also being vaulted—but only in tournaments that have building enabled.

Author
Image of Josh Challies
Josh Challies
Staff Writer. Professional writer since 2014. Pokemon, Marvel, Star Wars and overall geek. Previously wrote for Yahoo Sport, Stats Perform and online news publications.